Recfishwest Policy
Wilderness and Low Impact Fishing Policy

Introduction

Recfishwest believes there can be benefits for recreational fishers and the community generally from establishing some Western Australian coastal areas or rivers as wilderness or low impact fishing areas and Recfishwest will support such proposals where it believes they are relevant.

Wilderness Areas

The International Union for the Conservation of Nature (IUCN) in its definition of Protected Area Management Categories defines Wilderness Areas in Category 1b:-

Wilderness Area: protected area managed mainly for wilderness protection.

Definition: Large area of unmodified or slightly modified land, and/or sea, retaining its natural character and influence, without permanent or significant habitation, which is protected and preserved to retain its natural condition.

The Recfishwest concept of wilderness fishing areas would be characterised by two principal features:

1. That the populations of fish species would be very close to their natural state before human exploitation, i.e. they would be only lightly exploited. This accords with the IUCN description of "slightly modified".
   
   In order to maintain fish populations at near natural levels, mortality due to human fishing must be kept low. Regulations should prevent the accumulation of fish and their removal from the area. Fishing should be only for 'catch and release', where careful release of fish is possible, or for consumption in the area.
   
   
2. That the areas should be virtually free of evidence of human development and there should be very few people in the area. This accords with the first characteristic. If there are only a few people in the area consuming fish the area will be lightly exploited. Recfishwest prefers not to be prescriptive with respect to restrictions on numbers of people and methods of access. However the principles should fit the IUCN definition that the area is "without significant and permanent habitation" and should be "managed so as to preserve its natural condition". It must be clear that the aim is that the area will look natural, it can never be crowded with people, and the take of fish will only have a low impact on the fish populations.

Characteristics of wilderness fishing areas

• Such areas can be coastal or along rivers.
  
  
• The areas will normally be remote from towns or large tourist developments.
  
  
• Special fishing regulations must apply in the area to limit the take of fish and preclude the removal of fish from the area, although they can be consumed on site.
  
  
• The terrestrial part of the area should have some management authority that can regulate use. Once the establishment of such an area is agreed upon, regulations should prevent any intensive developments and regulate accommodation, including camping, at a low density.
  
  
• The establishment of such areas will require negotiations with other stakeholders such as representatives of indigenous groups, conservationists and commercial fishers.

Low impact fishing areas

The concept of low impact fishing areas could apply to areas of coast that may not fit the wilderness category due to existing developments or because there is no suitable management authority prepared to undertake the land management. It is envisaged that low impact fishing areas could be established under the provisions of the Fish Resources Management Act 1994. So far as the management of fishing is concerned the management principles would be the same as for wilderness areas. No fish could be taken away from the area and the bag limits would be set at a low level appropriate for persons camping in the area who would be permitted to eat some fish meals but not to accumulate fish.

Catch and release fishing

It is expected that both wilderness and low impact fishing areas would be attractive to people interested in catch and release fishing. This would be one way in which fishing quality could be preserved in some areas to a higher level for the benefit of those fishers who are prepared to be extremely conservative in their use of the fish resource.

Examples

The following examples are not intended to propose particular areas but rather to try to illustrate the nature of areas that could be suitable.

• The Fitzgerald coast
  The coast between the mouth of the Fitzgerald River and Quoin Head has no vehicular access and the land is a National Park, so that this, with its rocky headlands and little beaches would easily fit the wilderness fishing description for coastal hikers. In an area like this it might be necessary to limit the zone to near shore areas to minimise conflict with commercial fishing interests.
  
  
• The coast between Hopetoun and Esperance
  This coast could be suitable as wilderness or low impact fishing areas. It has good vehicular access behind the beach in the western section and could provide limited campsites. Like the previous area it can provide fishing for silver trevally, herring and sea sweep.
  
  
• The Gascoyne coast
  It was for this area that the concept of wilderness fishing was first proposed but unfortunately political and bureaucratic warfare has almost destroyed the opportunities for open-minded discussion of possibilities in this area. Under different circumstances there may still be chances for wilderness or low impact coastal fishing areas in this region.
  
  
• The Kimberley
  In this region there are many areas which would still be suitable for coastal wilderness fishing areas and for riverine wilderness fishing areas. In this region the rights and interests of indigenous people would have to have first consideration but this should certainly not be a bar to careful proposals and arrangements.
  

This page last updated on 20 September 2005.